Flag.



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE B. MAOARTNEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLAG.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,580, datedSeptember 5, 1899.

Application filed July 5,1898. Serial No. 685,091. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE B. MAoAR'r- NEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flags,Banners, and the Like, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to flags, banners, signs, and the like, and has forits object the production of a cheap and simple means whereby sucharticles may be effectually prevented from wrapping about theirsupporting poles or staves or becoming entangled in their halyards; andthe invention consists, broadly, in the combination of a pole or staffor other support, a sheet of flexible material supported thereby, and awire or flat strip of other suitable material extending along one ormore edges of said sheet, the flexibility of said wire being less thanthat of said sheet.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewillustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 isa side elevation illustrating a modified form of my invention. Fig. 4 isa section taken on line at 4. of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail showing aslight modification.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A rep resents a staff or pole ofusual construction, and B the flag or other flexible sheet, which issupported thereon by halyards a. Along the edge I) of the flag I form apocket I), preferably extending from end to end thereof and inclosing alength of wire 0. In order that the flag itself may not be subjected toundue strain and wear by the weight of the wire, I provide the inner endof said wire with a loop or ring 0, adapted to embrace the pole A andsupport the flag at this point. As it is desirable at times to removethe flag entirely from its staff, I make the ring 0 in two parts 0 and chinged together at 0 as shown, and adapted to be readily spread apartand slipped on and off the stafi or pole, as desired, a spring 0normally maintaining the two members of the ring or loop in the closedposition illus trated.

For ordinary purposes I iind the construction as above described quitesuflicient to accomplish the object of my invention; but

where very large flags, signs, &c., are used I find it advantageous toadd the supplemental wire or strip E, which, as indicated in Fig. 1,connects with ring 0 (or wire 0) and extends in a direction at rightangles thereto and terminates in a ring 6, similar in construction tothat of ring 0. Ring e also embraces the pole A and constitutes,together with ring 0 and wire or strip E, a sliding frame to which theflag may be attached, either at its corners or at intermediate points,or both.

Fig. 3 shows a flag permanently attached to its staff. In this case theinner endof the wire 0, extending through the pocket I) in the edge ofthe flag, is formed into a simple loop e, surroundingthe pole.

It is not desirable that the wire 0 be per fectly stiff, the bestresults being obtained by the use of a wire of such weight and suchdegree of stifiness that while the waving motion of'that portion of theflag to which it is attached may be resisted or retarded and the outerend of the flag effectually prevented from overreaching the staff orpole it shall at the same time be sufficiently flexible in itself as towave in long sinuous curves under the influences of slight breezes. Thewire of course may be attached to either of the long edges of the flagor to both such edges. I prefer, however, to attach-it to one edge only,leaving the other edge perfectly free, the blending of the short rapidwave motions of the free edge and the sinuous curvings of the Wired edgegiving an exceedingly graceful and pleasing effect.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a staff,pole, or other support, a flexible sheet, such as a flag, attachedthereto, a pocket extending along said sheet in a directionsubstantially at right angles to said support, a wire or strip of otherflexible material adapted to be moved in sinuous or wave-like curvesinclosed Within said pocket, and having a loop or ring thereon embracingsaid support, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a staff, pole or other support, a flexible sheet,such as a flag, at-

tached thereto, a Wire or strip of other suitable material extendingalong said sheet and having a loop or ring thereon embracing said 2es2,5so

staff or pole, a similar ring located adjacent a second and similar loopor ring located ad the opposite edge of said flexible sheet and a Wireor rod connecting saidrings.

3. The combination of a staff, pole or other 5 support, a flexible sheetsuch as a flag, at-

tached thereto, a Wire or strip of other suitable material extendingalong" one edge of said sheet and having a loop or ring thereon composedof two hinged members adapted to be 10 spread apart against the tensionof a spring,

j acent the opposite edge of said flexible sheet, and a Wire or rodconnecting the two said rings.

In witness whereof I subscribe my sigma 15 ture in presence of twowitnesses.

HORACE B. M'AOARTNEY. Witnesses:

JOHN I. TRAPEAGEN, ALFRED B. WESTRUP.

